Compressor



COMPRESSOR R. H, LONG 2,025,758

Filed July 5, 1932 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. RICHARD H. LONG A TTORNEYI I Dec. 31, 1935. R L N 2,025,758

COMPRESSOR.

Filed July 5, 1932 2 Shets-Sheet 2 INVEIVTOR. RICHARD H. Lon/e BY M .1 TTORNEY Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES r-ATE T' OFFICE COltiPBESSOB Richard H. Long, Alameda, Calif. Application July 5, 1932, Serial No. 620,871 2 Claims. (Cl. 230-177) The invention relates to a pneumatic compressor.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved compressor of the class wherein 5 free pistons are utilized.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the adjustment of the valve action of the compressor whereby its operation may be most efdcient under difierent operating conditions.

A further object is to provide an improved lubricating means for a compressor of the class described, said means incorporated in the compressor and automatically operated therewith and thereby.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment of the invention, and in ings, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical axial compressor embodying the features invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view at 2-2 in Figure 4.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the elements comprising a piston assembly of the compressor.

Figure 4, is

ure 1.

Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figure 4 but showing the rotor of the compremor disposed in different operative positions thereof.

As particularly illustrated, the invention is embodied in the structure of a compressor 8 having provided a closed H of cylindnc outline. In the present structure, the side walls l2 and one end l3 are integrally related, while the other casing end wall it is removably attached to the opposed end of the side wall portion. The compressor is arranged to be operated with the axis of the chamber H horizontally disposed, and a base l5 is provided for the casing as'an integral portion of its structure and for disposing the casing cavity H in the indicated position.

A cylindrical stator l6 extends from a casing end into the casing chamber. As particularly illustrated, the stator It comprises the inner portion of an element I! which is fixed in and extends through the casing end l3 for rotative adjustment in its mounting, the reason for the latter being hereinafter brought out. The axis of the stator It lies to one side of and is parallel to the axis of the chamber II; in the present instance the two axes lie in a vertical plane with the axis of the stator lowermost.

The element I1 is circumferentially reduced at the outer end of the stator Hi to define a radial shoulder l8 and is arranged for mounted engagesection through a of present a vertical section at 5-4 in Fi tation while the nut 2| the accompanying drawment in a stepped bore through the casing-end l3, said bore providing an inwardly facing seat l9 against which the shoulder I8 is arranged to bear. The outer end of the stator snugly flts the larger bore portion. 20 for centering the stator 5 in its place. For fixing the element in its mounted position, a nut 2! is threadedly mounted on the reduced portion 22 of the element for engagement withthe outer face of the casing end whereby to releasably clamp the element in place in ro- 1o tatively adjusted position. As shown, the outer end of the portion 22 is polygonal for engagement by a wrench to hold the element I'I against rois tightened or loosened, the present arrangement providing for adjustment externally of the casing and while the compressor is operating.

Passages 23 and 24 are provided in the element 11, said passages extending respectively from ports 25 and 26 at opposed points of the stator surface to the opposite ends of the element. The outer end of the bore of the passage 23 is threaded for connection with a pipe 30.

A rotor 21 is mounted on the stator l6, said rotor providing a plurality of cylinder bores 28 extending radially outwardly from its central bore 29 which receives the stator. Preferably, and as shown, the cylinder bores 28 extend in full section from the rotor bore, and their axes are mutually concurrent in the axis of rotation of the 30 rotor and make equal angles with said last axis; in the present instance, said angles are right angles whereby the cylinder axes lie in a common planeperpendicular to the axis of rotation. The inner ends of the cylinder bores 28 are arranged to alternately of the stator as the rotor revolves thereabout. In the present instance, but two cylinders are shown, though more might be provided.

As particularly disclosed, the rotor is formed 4 with a cylindrical hub portion 3! having the rotor-receiving bore 29 therein conically contracted beyond the stator end therein whereby to define a space 32 opposite said stator end and having its greatest diameter at the stator. is arranged to be in constant communication with the space of the chamber II and such is effected by providing a duct 33 through the rotor hub. For a reason to be hereinafter brought out, the duct 33 extends from an intermediate point of the circumferential wall of the space 32, the relation being particularly brought out in Figures 1 and 2.

An operative rotation of the rotor is arranged to be effected through the operation of a shaft 34 fixed to and extending axially from the hub 3|, said shaft journalled 1n the removable casing end wall M. As shown, the shaft 34 is detachably fixed to the rotor hub 3|, is extended through a stufling box The space 32 45 35 for maintaining the seal of the to line Pistons 38 are mounted in the clinder bores entire outward stroke of the piston of said cyl- 28, said pistons arranged to be freely slidable in inder is effective as a suction stroke The dis- 1( their cylinders and urged outwardly solely by cencharge port 26, on the other hand is relatively to the rotor axis, will variably limit the outward disclosed respectively in Figures 5 and 6 From disp sal of th pisto s r the r cylinde s whereby the foregoing, it will be clear that the stator is ea h pi n Wi l m h u h e reoiprooetive with its ports and 26 functions as a two-way 30 39 o the c m r wall i2. said me e designed to the is. mosphere and the chamber It would to distribute the pressure engagem n of h p receive the air as an equalizing reservoir therefor oils with aid fe A co i ly, h members Since the valve action provided by and between 3 mpri e ue e shoes hingedly mount don the rotor and stator must e accurately timed th pistons and p e n n c lindriealy convex with respect to the piston cycles, the previousl aces 62 a a nst he cas n face 39. As s w described rovision for rotatively ad usting the e ou er end f a h pi n i axially kerfed to stator IS in its mounting will now understood d fin Spa d ears $3 for receiving between them as a valuable and necessary feature for insuring an ear 44 ext ndi ad a y i w from er Shoe an operation of the compressor at maximum pin 45 extending through Seid ears to efilciency under a given service requirement as to Plete the hinged J n the pressure or quantity of discharged gas. As 40 For preventing a rotation of the pistons 38 n each piston cycle is constant with respect to the h i y nd Screws 46 are mounted in and rotation of the rotor, the advancing or retarding extended th ugh the outer cylinder ends for of the valve action through the adjustment of e en a em nt of their in ends i axial slots the rotor solely effects any desired or required provided 111 the piston Sides W th the operative adjustment of the valve action.

ent piston st c each slot 41 extends e Means are provided for lubricating the various til -fina y in a a 43 and diametrically across contacting and relatively moving surfaces of the the end of a p the latter being Secured present compressor, said means entirely lncorpoegeinst rotetlon in the Piston ears which carry rated in the compressor structure and operative 50 it It is noted that the cylinders would prefery and during an operation f the compressor 5 y be extended equally and t0 ma um e casing cavity H is arranged to constantly g for pe mi n a full piston retraction in the contain a supply of a liquid lubricant 5| for disoylinderetribution where and as needed; for convenience It will now be noted that the disclosed form in maintaining a proper and adequate supply of of the n ntien, the pump cylinders are arranged the lubricant in the compressor, drain and supply to receive a 8 5 through the passage 23 and t0 openings 52 and 53 are shown provided in the discha ge the compressed gas through the D casing end l3, said opemngs normally closed by sage 24, and that under these circumstances the means of screw plugs 54 and 55 respectively. Ports 25 and 25 must bear definite relation to Externally thereof, the rotor and exposed piston the plan d fin d y h chamber and rotor axes parts are kept lubricated by reason of their pas and to the direction of rotation of the rotor. Resage through t lubricant liqmd m th cavlty ferring to e 4, in which a olook-wlse r0te- I and the splashing of said liquid as a result tion of the rotor is indicated and the cylinders are thereof, 9 v t fthe shoes 4| thr disposed with their axial lines vertical it is seen said u d i arranged to carry the lubricant 5 that the diam n through the ports 5 and around for functioning between the shoes and the 26 makes an angle f about f -fiv degrees casing bore face 39 By reason of the fact that with ai P and the cyl nd s ar in a v n the operation of the present rotor creates no end of both po ts a d a e fi' relation with respect thrust thereon, the lubrication at the ends of the thereto Since the uppe piston 18 in fully rotor, which engages between the casing end 7 tended position While h low r pi n is f l walls, is rimarily and satisfactorily accomwithdrawn n i y nd h port 25 is adjacent plished through sald splashing of the lubricating the upper cylinder and the port 26 is adjacent the liquid within the chamber. 4 ower cylinder. A circumferential oil-distributing groove 56 I1 now the rotor be turned in a clock-wise diis formed in each cylinder bore and at a point motion, the different cylinders will approach regthereot which constantly opposes the piston, and 75 means are provided for supplying the lubricant to said groove from a catch-basin or cup 51 which is provided at the inner side of the end wall l3 for receiving lubricant which is splashed within the cavity in the previously described manner. As particularly shown, a duct 58 extends from the bottom of the cup 51 through the wall I3 to the larger bore portion 20 at the outer stator end, while a duct 59 extends from each cylinder groove 55 through the rotor body to the central rotor bore 29. The stator is annularly reduced between the inner ends of the ducts 58 and 59 whereby to provide a groove 5| therearound and constantly connecting said ducts. Preferably, and as shown, the inner side of the groove Si is bevelled and extends inwardly of the mouths of the ducts 59 whereby to define an annular space of triangular section inwardly of the circle of said duct mouths. It is noted that the bearing between the stator and the casing wall I3 occurs opposite the groove 6| whereby this bearing may receive some lubricant from the groove.

It will now be noted that the rotation of the rotor is constantly operative to urge a centrifugal flow of lubricant outwardly in the ducts 59 and so from the stator groove 6|, duct 58 and cup 51. Since the lubricant enters the cup 51 at the same pressure as that in the casing, its discharge pressure at the cylinder grooves 56 will exceed the first pressure whereby to insure a pressure distribution of lubricant at the pistons. excess pressure condition will exist at the previously mentioned V space at the inner end of the stator groove 6| whereby lubricant may be forced axially along the stator bore face for lubricating the same. It will, of course, be understood that the distributed lubricant also functions to seal the pistons in their cylinders and r the stator in the rotor.

By reason of the described disposition of the duct 33 for the space 32 within the rotor and at the end of the stator, there will also be found an undrained zone of triangular section at the outer periphery of this space and at the stator end. Since any lubricant in the space32 will tend to revolve with the rotor, centrifugal force will tend to force the lubricant into said vzone and thence along the stator at a pressure exceeding the pressure in the casing cavity. Any excess of lubricant in the cylinders may escape through the duct 33 into the space 32 and so back to the lubricant supply.

It will now be clear that the present compressor itself provides by its structure and operation a complete pressure lubrication for the pistons and rotor. Furthermore, the effective lubrication pressure will increase with the speed of operation of the compressor, thereby insuring a constant and suflicient lubrication and seal at all times.

The present compressor is particularly adapted for high speed operation, such operation thereof being primarily made possible by the fact that the free pistons move in an unvarying circle while contacting the chamber wall. In this manner, neither the pistons nor cylinders produce impacts in the compressor structure, and the desired high pressure operative speed for theiincreased efficiency of the compressor is thus possible without the creation of the vibrations which limit the permitted operation speeds of usual types of pumps. It is to be noted that in terms of the A similar casing axis, the cylinders are reciprocated on the pistons, whilein terms of the rotor axis the pistons are reciprocated in the cylinders as the rotor revolves, it thus being clear that either the cylinders or pistons may be thought of as reciprocative for producing the relative movement thereof.

While the foregoing description is drawn spe-- cifically to a pressure pump or compressor, it will be obvious that certain features thereof are equally applicable to suction pumps. Furthermore, the present structure may be used as a suction pump without compression by opening the pipe 48 to the atmosphere.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with a device which I now" consider to be a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the structure shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. In a compressor, a casing defining a working chamber having end walls, a cylindrical stator engaged in a bore through a said wall and ex-v tending into the chamber, a rotor mounting a radially directed cylinder and provided with an axial bearing bore enclosing the extending stator portion and for a supported rotation of the rotor thereabout, a piston in said cylinder, an annular groove for lubricant in the circumferential face of said stator and opposite mutually coterminous wall and rotor bore portions, a catch basin at the inner face of said wall and above said rotor, a duct for lubricant extending within said wall and connecting said catch basin with the wall bore portion opposite said groove, and a duct for lubricant extending within the rotor and connecting a point of the rotor bore opposite the groove with an intermediate point of the cylinder opposite the piston therein.

2. In a pump or the like, a casing defining a working chamber havingend walls, a cylindrical groove for lubricant in the circumferential face of said stator and opposite mutual y coterminous wall and-rotor bore portions,. a catch basin at the inner face of said wall and above said rotor. a duct for lubricant extending within said wall and connecting said catch basin withthe wall bore portion opposite said groove, and a ductlor lubricant extending within the rotor and connecting a point of the rotor bore opposite the groove with an intermediate point of the cylinder opposite the piston therein.

RICHARD H. LONG. 

